Hammers News

West Ham have moved to explain Mohammed Kudus’ training stance amid an expected move to either Spurs or Chelsea in the very near future.

As speculation over a big-money deal between the Hammers and London rivals Spurs or Chelsea continues to grow, there was a major development at Rush Green on the first day back at pre-season training.

It leaves no doubt that Mohammed Kudus’ head has been fully turned amid previous claims West Ham could hold on to the Ghana star if their £60m plus valuation was not met.

West Ham and fierce rivals Tottenham simply don’t do business. The two clubs don’t like each other, whether that be on the pitch, in the stands or in the boardroom – with a host of fallouts down the years.

Spurs leading Chelsea in race to sign West Ham’s Kudus

It’s why there have been no transfers between the two clubs since 2001.

But it is Tottenham who are currently leading Chelsea in the tussle to try and sign Kudus from West Ham.

But Enzo Maresca publicly admitted Chelsea’s interest in Kudus for the first time at the weekend.

With Noni Madueke closing in on a move to Arsenal, the Irons are expecting the Blues to rival Spurs with an official bid for Kudus imminently.

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The player himself has not helped his club or his reputation among Hammers fans over the weekend, though.

In fact Kudus enraged West Ham supporters after leaks that he only wants Tottenham over any other clubs, including Chelsea.

Pushing to join Spurs from West Ham will never go down well with fans.

And that information came from two reporters, David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano, which dispels conspiracy theories it was intel leaked by the Hammers to paint Kudus as a villain ahead of what would be a controversial sale to Tottenham Hotspur.

Kudus’ insistence on Spurs also massively weakens West Ham’s hand in any negotiations with Daniel Levy, as he knows the player won’t go elsewhere.

All eyes – including those of Tottenham and Chelsea – were on West Ham’s return to pre-season training on Monday.

Now West Ham have explained Kudus’ training stance as Spurs and Chelsea get in his head.

West Ham explain Kudus’ training stance

Kudus took action to help force a move this summer by joining the ROOF agency.

Despite idle speculation to the contrary the 24-year-old did report back to Rush Green for the first day of West Ham’s pre-season training.

But while he was pictured arriving at the east London base and doing some gym work and jogging, Kudus was notable by his absence from West Ham’s first training session.

The club’s media team released footage proving as much, suggesting a deal may be edging closer.

It seemed a safe assumption that West Ham were protecting their £60m plus asset from injury.

Especially given just how desperate the Hammers are for cash to fund signings for Graham Potter.

But now the top spokesman for West Ham’s board has revealed the truth of the situation.

Kudus asks not to train as Spurs and Chelsea get in his head

And while it will not go down well with fans at all, it may be for the best long term.

It was put to West Ham’s owners whether the club were effectively stopping Kudus from training so as not to risk injury and miss out on an important pay day from Tottenham or Chelsea.

After all that’s exactly what is happening with El Hadji Malick Diouf following bids from West Ham.

But the Hammers hierarchy has revealed it is in fact the other way around with Kudus.

Because it is Kudus who has asked not to take part in full training while he waits to leave for pastures new.

“I think he doesn’t want to train at the moment,” the top spokesman for West Ham’s owners exclusively told Hammers News.

“Things will be resolved this week.”

Fans won’t be happy with Kudus but it’s probably for the best

Kudus effectively not wanting to take part in full training so as not to jeopardise a move to the club he wants to join – Tottenham – will clearly infuriate Hammers fans.

But a deep breath is needed because the situation is probably for the best in the long run.

West Ham fans often bemoan the fact the club is cursed, especially when it comes to injuries.

If Kudus was to get injured in training and it collapsed a move away, West Ham would be stuck with absolutely no money for Potter to rebuild the team.

Other sales are planned this summer but none anywhere near the £60m level of Kudus.

So while the player is undoubtedly ensuring a hostile reception for himself, the risk factor is understandably too great.

It is interesting West Ham say it will be resolved this week.

If negotiations rumble on too long with Spurs – or Chelsea turn it into a bidding war – then Kudus’ football fitness could fall behind unless he changes his stance.

It may leave a bitter taste but there’s clearly no way back for Kudus at West Ham now so it is probably the safest way to handle the situation.

West Ham United appear to have just dropped a significant clue about Mohammed Kudus’ future amid intense transfer speculation involving both rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.

The Ghanaian star has been spotted at the club’s Rush Green training ground as Spurs ponder a fourth bid while Chelsea are tipped to make an official offer.

Tottenham are pushing hard to try and sign Mohammed Kudus from West Ham – much to the disgust of many Hammers fans.

Despite traditionally being the club’s biggest rivals after Millwall and Tottenham, Chelsea are very much seen as the lesser of two evils when it comes to the prospect of reluctantly selling a top player like Kudus.

The Hammers have allowed themselves to get into a real state in terms of finances, leaving little wiggle room for signings due to PSR.

West Ham face enforced Kudus sale to Spurs or Chelsea

As a result, West Ham’s owners are being pilloried by fans as they face seeing another top player join a rival with Spurs and Chelsea the only Premier League sides looking seriously at Kudus at the time of writing.

Tottenham have made not one, not two but THREE bids to West Ham for Kudus in the last week.

The Hammers board were left dumbstruck by the terms of Spurs’ latest £62.5m Kudus offer, according to sources close to the situation.

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Mainly because £10m of the additional £12.5m in the third bid was tied to Spurs winning the Premier League and Champions League.

A close confidant of Hammers chief David Sullivan claimed ‘Levy is up to his old tricks by playing the Kudus deal out in the press’.

That threatens to backfire on Levy and Tottenham with Hammers News reporting on Chelsea’s master plan to sell Noni Madueke to Arsenal and sign Kudus.

In a somewhat surprising move, Madueke is closing on a move to the Gunners.

Enzo Maresca even publicly admitted Chelsea like Kudus for the first time at the weekend.

Now West Ham have dropped a major Kudus hint as the star is pictured at Rush Green amid the Spurs and Chelsea talks.

The Hammers held two rounds of discussions with Chelsea about Kudus in June.

The Blues were keen to include players in the deal as makeweights whereas Sullivan and co want straight cash.

West Ham drop major Kudus hint amid Spurs and Chelsea talks

Talks with Spurs have been well publicised over recent days.

And Kudus enraged West Ham fans after it was claimed he only wants Tottenham over any other clubs, including Chelsea.

There had been an idle threat from West Ham that they would keep Kudus if they did not get the minimum £60m they’d put on his head.

But West Ham’s media activity appears to suggest Kudus is edging closer to a Hammers exit with Tottenham and Chelsea vying for his signature.

The Irons reported back for pre-season training on Monday morning.

The Hammers published a gallery of pictures titled ‘West Ham United men’s team reunited as pre-season begins’.

That gallery, image number 14 of 14, shows Kudus arriving at the club’s Rush Green training complex.

Later in the day West Ham published another picture gallery, this time showing the players training out on the pitches.

Crucially, Kudus was among the only first team players not joining in with his teammates.

The most obvious reason would be West Ham are protecting their £60m plus asset from injury as the club is desperate for the funds.

That would mean the Hammers feel a move to Spurs or Chelsea is close enough not to take any risks.

Hammers guard against injury as Kudus returns to Rush Green but doesn’t train?

Some international players get extended breaks and softer returns if they’ve been in action for their countries post season.

But Kudus was rested from the Ghana squad for their games against Nigeria and Trinidad and Tobago at the end of May.

So, like Jarrod Bowen, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Lucas Paqueta and the others pictured, Kudus should have been training.

That will excite Tottenham and Chelsea fans ahead of what now looks a nailed on move to either north or west London.

There’s a chance Kudus might be carrying an injury of course – although that seems unlikely after a summer of rest.

It was clear Kudus was going to be leaving.

But now what seemed a highly unlikely move to Spurs suddenly seems a real possibility.

West Ham are reportedly wasting no time preparing for life after Mohammed Kudus and their planned replacement could seriously embarrass Spurs.

Tottenham Hotspur are pushing hard to try and sign Mohammed Kudus from West Ham.

Spurs face competition from Chelsea, especially if Noni Madueke joins Arsenal.

But Kudus has enraged West Ham by declaring he only wants Tottenham.

The Hammers had rejected two bids worth £50m – with different payment terms – before Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy submitted a £62.5m offer on Sunday.

Pressure on Levy to get Spurs deal done for West Ham star Kudus

West Ham were left dumbstruck by Levy’s terms in that new Kudus offer according to sources close to the situation.

Chiefly because £10m of the additional £12.5m in the third bid was tied to Spurs winning the Premier League and Champions League.

A prominent West Ham insider who is close to majority owner David Sullivan claimed ‘Levy is up to his old tricks by playing the Kudus deal out in the press’.

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The Tottenham chief is under pressure after missing out on Bryan Mbeumo, Antoine Semenyo and Eberechi Eze.

West Ham have rejected Tottenham’s third offer for Kudus.

Although it is understood Sullivan may accept just under £60m if Spurs pay all cash with no add-ons.

While clearly far from happy with the financial situation, West Ham fans have made peace with the fact the club has to sell Kudus to raise funds for signings.

But Hammers supporters are furious at the prospect of selling to bitter rivals Tottenham.

Particularly given the bad blood between the clubs which has resulted in an unofficial transfer embargo being in place between the two clubs for the last 14 years.

West Ham line up Kudus replacement and it may embarrass Spurs

While Kudus did not have a great campaign last season there is also the small issue for West Ham of bringing someone in to succeed the Ghanaian attacker.

Now West Ham have lined up a Kudus replacement and it may embarrass Spurs.

According to Sky Sports France, West Ham are ready to make good on longstanding interest in Ademola Lookman by signing him when Kudus is sold.

Way back in October last year, Hammers News reported on claims that Lookman was on a list of three forwards West Ham were eyeing for this summer.

It is claimed that the Hammers remain interested in Lookman and want him to replace Kudus.

Better still the 27-year-old wants to join West Ham after a big bust-up over the way he has been treated by Atalanta, for whom he scored a memorable hat-trick to win them the Europa League last year.

The report claims London-born Lookman wants to return to the Big Smoke this summer.

The move could leave Levy and Tottenham red-faced on a number of fronts.

Firstly, because statistically Lookman is an upgrade on Kudus having registered over 20 goals and assists in each of his last three seasons for club and country.

Hammers plan to use Spurs cash to hijack their target

Even, though, Kudus was great in his debut season with the Irons, he managed just five goals and three assists last term.

Optically, West Ham would also essentially be cashing in a player who has been heavily criticised in Ghana for the shortcomings of the national team, for Nigerian Lookman – who is the reigning African Player of the Year.

Lookman actually referenced West Ham in his speech when winning the prestigious African honour.

But the move could ultimately be embarrassing for Spurs as they would be funding West Ham’s move for a player they allegedly want themselves.

The Hard Tackle reported at the weekend that Spurs are one of the clubs interested in signing Lookman for the left side.

Now Sky Sports France states the former Charlton star is the priority target for the Hammers to replace Kudus.

“The sale of Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham could be the final domino to fall,” the report states regarding West Ham’s interest in signing Lookman.

“The one that would both give the Italian club the fee they’re hoping for and allow the Nigerian to return to the city he misses so much.

“One to watch.”

West Ham are said to be dumbstruck by the latest offer from Daniel Levy as Tottenham launch a third bid for Mohammed Kudus worth £62.5m.

The structure and stipulations within Tottenham Hotspur’s new bid have left the Hammers completely stunned as talks take another dramatic twist.

Mohammed Kudus holds the key to West Ham’s transfer window and that means Spurs could too.

The bitter rivals can’t stand one another on or off the pitch.

There have been a series of fallouts between the West Ham and Tottenham boardrooms over the last 15 years.

So it is no surprise there have been no transfer dealings between the Hammers or Spurs since 2001.

Third time lucky after West Ham rejected Spurs bids for Kudus?

After making it into the Champions League, though, Tottenham have a distinct advantage over West Ham in this summer’s transfer window.

Around £80-100m of them in fact.

Spurs have been consistently linked with a move for Kudus since April.

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Irons supporters are still being goaded by their Arsenal counterparts over snatching away Declan Rice two years on.

So West Ham fans are furious Kudus might be sold to Tottenham after the club confirmed they may have little choice – especially if Daniel Levy coughs up the most money.

The prospect of selling another of the club’s top players to Spurs has seen West Ham’s board, particularly David Sullivan, heavily criticised.

Enzo Maresca has confirmed Chelsea’s interest in Kudus this weekend, raising hopes the Blues will save West Ham from the ignominy of selling to Spurs.

Especially after a top source very close to Hammers majority owner Sullivan claimed ‘Levy is up to his old tricks by playing the Kudus deal out in the press’.

The Spurs chairman, who is under pressure after missing out on Bryan Mbeumo, Antoine Semenyo and Eberechi Eze, was also accused of using agents to get around tapping up West Ham’s Ghanaian attacker.

Tottenham make £62.5m third bid to West Ham for Kudus

Kudus has angered West Ham fans after a leak he now only wants Spurs amid interest from Chelsea and other clubs.

Not only does that show a lack of understanding – or care – about the rivalry between the two clubs, it also weakens the Hammers’ bargaining position.

West Ham have rejected two derisory £50m bids from Tottenham for the 24-year-old former Ajax star.

Now West Ham have been left dumbstruck by Levy’s terms in Tottenham’s £62.5m third bid for Kudus.

West Ham board dumbstruck by Levy’s terms in new Kudus offer

The structure of the deal will leave football fans – never mind just Hammers supporters – trying to contain themselves.

Football correspondent Graeme Bailey has told Hammers News that Levy has made a third offer to West Ham worth a total of £62.5m.

Bailey says Tottenham’s third bid has gone in at a base rate of £50m once again.

This time, though, there are £12.5m of add-ons.

But £10m of those are based on Spurs winning the Premier League and the Champions League.

Levy’s offer details that West Ham will receive £5m if Tottenham do the unthinkable and go from 17th to winning the Premier League for the first time.

And another £5m if they win the Champions League for the first time too.

Bailey told Hammers News that Levy’s terms are ‘not deemed attainable by West Ham’.

However, it has been rather worryingly revealed that Sullivan may now be willing to take under £60m for Kudus as long as it is all straight cash with no add-ons.

While it is also claimed ‘Spurs are the only team at the party and West Ham need to sell quickly’.

With Noni Madueke closing on a move to Arsenal, though, Hammers News understands West Ham are hopeful Chelsea will come knocking in the coming days.

Mohammed Kudus is walking a fine line with West Ham after a fresh leak to Fabrizio Romano emerged about the battle between Chelsea and Spurs for his signature.

West Ham must sell Mohammed Kudus to help raise funds for Graham Potter’s rebuild and London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are fighting it out for the Ghanaian.

But a brand new twist will not go down well in east London at all.

It says everything about how poor West Ham’s recruitment and squad composition has been over the last few years that Kudus is the club’s only sellable asset worth any sizeable amount.

Potter wants to change that by reinventing the Hammers around young, dynamic talent.

The problem is West Ham are now faced with having to sell another top player to a rival to do that with Tottenham and Chelsea emerging as the frontrunners.

West Ham want Chelsea to save them from Spurs embarrassment

After selling Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105m, West Ham are hoping to raise at least £60-65m from the sale of Kudus as Chelsea and Tottenham jostle for position.

From West Ham’s point of view – both on the terraces and in the boardroom – there is a clear preference.

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West Ham fans are furious Kudus might be sold to Spurs after the club confirmed they may have little choice but to break a 14-year unofficial transfer embargo.

Especially if Daniel Levy coughs up the most money.

But the prospect of selling one of the club’s top players to Tottenham has seen West Ham’s owners, particularly David Sullivan, heavily criticised.

It did not go down well when it was claimed by Fabrizio Romano that talks were “well underway” between West Ham, Tottenham and Kudus about a move to north London earlier this week.

As first reported by Hammers News, Chelsea are very much planning to move for Kudus as they look to sell Noni Madueke.

A Chelsea insider’s major Kudus update earlier this week claimed the Blues are planning to sign the West Ham star next after completing the capture of Joao Pedro.

So when Enzo Maresca confirmed Chelsea’s interest in Kudus this weekend, it looked like the Hammers would be spared a very damaging and awkward sale to Spurs.

Now Kudus risks wrath of West Ham after new leak to journalists

But now Kudus has risked the wrath of West Ham after a new leak to journalists in the Spurs vs Chelsea battle.

Earlier this week a key source very close to Hammers majority owner David Sullivan claimed ‘Levy is up to his old tricks by playing the Kudus deal out in the media’.

It was stated the Spurs chairman, who is under pressure after missing out on Bryan Mbeumo, Antoine Semenyo and Eberechi Eze, is using agents to get around rules over tapping up West Ham’s Kudus.

It was also revealed, via Sullivan, that no formal bid had been received by West Ham from Spurs.

With Chelsea lurking, it seemed inevitable they would step forward and take Kudus to Stamford Bridge as the lesser of two evils for West Ham.

Kudus makes it clear he only wants Spurs say Ornstein and Romano

Tottenham’s bid finally came on Saturday as Levy sent a derisory £50m offer to Sullivan – a meagre £11.5m profit on what West Ham paid Ajax for Kudus.

It was understandably ejected out of hand.

Fans were angered when a journalist claimed West Ham’s Kudus is open to joining Tottenham recently.

Now Kudus will upset Hammers fans and the owners.

Because his camp has leaked to both Athletic journalist David Ornstein and Romano that even if Chelsea do make their move, Kudus only wants to join West Ham’s bitter rivals Tottenham.

Ornstein reports on The Athletic that Kudus has let it be known he is ‘prioritising’ Spurs and that personal terms are not an issue.

Now Romano has gone even further, claiming Kudus is ‘keen on joining Spurs’ as he pushes to seal a move to them over other interested clubs.

Romano also claims a second Tottenham bid to West Ham is in the works.

Chelsea have been in touch with Kudus’ entourage but the player wants Tottenham.

Kudus weakens West Ham’s bargaining position

Not only is Kudus showing a complete lack of awareness, or care, about how West Ham fans feel at the prospect of him joining Tottenham, it also totally weakens the club’s bargaining position.

If Kudus is pushing to only join Spurs then Levy has no need to drastically up his bid.

The situation threatens to get very messy internally and externally for the Hammers.

Because a sale to Tottenham will not go down well with fans at all.

And Kudus will make himself a hate figure overnight to boot as West Ham fans brace themselves to be goaded by Tottenham fans, just like they have been ever since selling Rice to Arsenal.

Forward steps are being taken at West Ham United, both regarding incomings and outgoings. But there are still big strides to be taken before Mohammed Kudus secures a controversial switch to Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur for instance.

This week, speculation regarding a shock move across London went into overdrive.

No player has swapped West Ham United for Tottenham Hotspur since Scott Parker 14 years ago. Mohammed Kudus could snap that trend, however.

While Chelsea are not out of the Kudus race just yet, Tottenham have entered talks with the Ghana international.

But, like with West Ham’s pursuit of Slavia Prague left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf, things do not appear to be as advanced behind the scenes as some in the media would have you believe.

David Ornstein does not think Tottenham move is close for West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus

The uber-reliable David Ornstein, speaking on The Athletic’s transfer podcast on Saturday, appears to believe that Kudus is not so much the priority target at Spurs, but instead ‘one of the options’ being considered.

“They have a reported interest in him,” Ornstein says. “We don’t know of it being more than him being one of the options they’re considering.”

Then again, it is probably no coincidence that Tottenham appeared to have upped the pace in recent days.

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Bryan Mbeumo is on the verge of finally joining Manchester United, rejecting Spurs’ advances in the process. Antoine Semenyo, another with admirers in North London, also signed a new deal at AFC Bournemouth.

So if Kudus was not the primary target at the start of the window, he may be now.

“We’ve reported that they enquired about Antoine Semenyo at Bournemouth having previously liked Bryan Mbeumo. Semenyo has signed a new contract,” Ornstein adds. “So yeah, Kudus is in the orbit of clubs like Tottenham.

“West Ham might need to sell a player and he’s their most obvious asset.

“I think Tottenham would carry appeal to someone like him, Champions League football and staying in London, but there will be other options as well.

“I don’t think this one is close to a conclusion as of yet.”

Chelsea remain in Kudus race but Newcastle United move unlikely

New Spurs boss Thomas Frank is a confirmed admirer of Mohammed Kudus.

A source close to the West Ham board, speaking to Hammers News this week, admits that the 2023 Conference League champions would rather not sell such a talented footballer to such bitter rivals.

However, with Kudus rejecting a move to Saudi Arabia, with Chelsea and Manchester United prioritising other attacking targets, Tottenham are one of few clubs remaining who may be willing to hand West Ham the £60 million they went.

Kudus is well down the list at Newcastle, too.

West Ham maybe have to get creative, they maybe have to sell a few players to give Graham Potter the funds to go and invest and re-shape that squad,” reporter Mark McAdam said on Sky Sports a few days ago.

“Mohammed Kudus is one of those players.

“We know there is interest from Tottenham Hotspur. We know that they are looking to try and add players out wide. They want a versatile forward threat which Mohammed Kudus would be, someone who can play in multiple positions across the frontline.

“We know that Chelsea are at the table,” the report concludes. “Despite signing Jamie Gittens, they are looking potentially at Mohammed Kudus as well.

“And Newcastle also have him on their list, although I think he’s a little further down on their list.”

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has paid the kind of respect to former club West Ham that Daniel Levy hasn’t as he commented on the Mohammed Kudus in a crushing blow to Spurs.

The Italian’s comments spell bad news for Tottenham, with Chelsea now firmly in the frame for West Ham’s PSR sacrificial lamb Mohammed Kudus – just as Hammers News reported this week.

After Millwall, it is Spurs and Chelsea who have always been West Ham’s biggest rivals.

So it says something when Hammers fans are desperate to see one of their best players join the Blues, just to avoid them going to Tottenham Hotspur.

West Ham supporters are incandescent Kudus might be sold to Spurs after the club confirmed they may have little choice but to break a 14-year unofficial transfer embargo if Daniel Levy is the only one to stump up the required cash.

Levy ‘up to old tricks’ in West Ham and Spurs talks over Kudus

Chelsea’s transfer dealings underline the fact PSR is a complete non-issue for Enzo Maresca.

West Ham fans are furious the owners have allowed them to be in such a poor state financially.

But they begrudgingly accept Kudus must be sold to raise funds for Graham Potter’s rebuild.

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The mere thought of selling one of the club’s top players to Tottenham has seen the West Ham board come under fire, though.

Especially since Fabrizio Romano claimed negotiations were now “well underway” between West Ham, Tottenham and Kudus about a move to north London.

The hope in east London has always been that Chelsea would pull the trigger on signing Kudus as the lesser of two evils.

Hammers News was the first to exclusively reveal Chelsea and West Ham discussed a possible deal for Kudus back at the start of June.

Now, after mulling things over for a month, it looks like a Chelsea insider’s major new Kudus claim earlier this week could come to fruition.

Because Maresca has paid West Ham the respect Levy hasn’t as he opens up on a Chelsea move for Kudus and it’s bad news for Spurs.

Maresca pays West Ham respect as he deals Spurs a Kudus blow

This week a close ally of West Ham chief David Sullivan confirmed there has been no formal approach or bid from Spurs for Kudus.

That infuriated Tottenham fans, who are already angry with Levy over the club’s failed pursuit of Antoine Semenyo and Eberechi Eze.

Sullivan’s confidant stated the Hammers have not given permission for Spurs to approach Kudus after the likes of Romano claimed talks have been held between them and the player’s agents.

And the key Sullivan source claimed ‘Levy is up to his old tricks by playing the Kudus deal out in the media’ using agents to get around rules over tapping up.

Now Maresca has shown the right way to do things as he all but confirmed Chelsea’s interest in signing Kudus with an intriguing comment.

Speaking to the press in the US overnight after Chelsea advanced to the semi-finals of the Club World Cup with a 2-1 win over Palmeiras, Maresca admitted Kudus is a player he has liked and followed for years.

The former Hammers assistant boss refused to discuss Chelsea’s move for Kudus in detail out of respect to his old club.

But the fact Maresca did not deny Chelsea are planning to sign Kudus is a sure sign that’s exactly what is about to transpire, leaving Spurs’ hopes in serious trouble.

Chelsea boss all but confirms interest in Hammers star Kudus

“Mohammed is a West Ham player,” Maresca said respectfully when asked about the Kudus links to Chelsea.

“He is not our player.

“I’ve known Kudus since he was at Ajax but he is a West Ham player.”

That line about ‘knowing Kudus since he was at Ajax’ says everything.

Kudus is clearly a player Maresca has a longstanding interest in given the Hammers signed the Ghanaian from the Dutch giants two years ago now.

West Ham will appreciate Maresca’s approach to the potential transfer in light of the revelations about how Levy is handling Tottenham’s attempts to sign Kudus.

Hammers fans will appreciate it even more if Todd Boehly pays the money to ensure Kudus ends up at Stamford Bridge instead of Spurs.

A transfer battle is brewing between West Ham and Spurs for a ‘freak athlete’ midfielder, and one European giant is seriously concerned after a first bid was made.

The transfer business of West Ham and rivals Tottenham Hotspur is intrinsically linked this summer.

Spurs want to sign Hammers star Mohammed Kudus, who is being sold as a sacrificial lamb to raise funds for Graham Potter to make signings.

That’s because the board have serious concerns over PSR with £100m plus losses looming in West Ham’s next accounts.

A deal with Tottenham is totally undesirable from West Ham’s point of view.

New transfer tussle between West Ham and Spurs

Especially after it emerged Spurs are trying to get Kudus on the cheap.

West Ham fans are furious at the prospect of Kudus being sold to Tottenham.

The Hammers aren’t too happy with Daniel Levy either – and not for the first time. The two boardrooms have clashed numerous times in the last 15 years.

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A top ally of Hammers chief David Sullivan claims Levy is ‘up to his old tricks’ with his attempts to sign Kudus from West Ham.

It was also confirmed by Sullivan’s confidant that no official bid has been made by Spurs for Kudus.

West Ham are hoping Chelsea or another Premier League side will rescue them from the awkward situation of being forced to end a 14-year unofficial transfer embargo by offloading Kudus to Tottenham.

The Hammers are clearly feeling more confident about the money they will be bringing in for players this summer.

Because West Ham’s transfer window burst into life this week with confirmation of multiple bids.

The Hammers are said to be on the verge of signing a top young international star while bids have reportedly been made for at least two other players.

Now we know the identity of one of them amid a host of reports.

Giants fear West Ham and Spurs battle for ‘freak’ midfielder as first bid made

And Hammers fans may not be surprised to hear it is Tottenham and Levy who are one of the clubs throwing their hat in the ring for the same target.

A European giant fears a battle breaking out between West Ham and Spurs for ‘freak athlete’ midfielder as a first bid is made.

The good news for West Ham is that it is their club who has taken the initiative over Tottenham by making a bid for all-action Colombian star Richard Rios.

But the bad news is that the door remains open for Tottenham after the initial Hammers bid for Rios was knocked back by Palmeiras – from whom West Ham signed Luis Guilherme for £20m last summer.

West Ham are desperately lacking energy and dynamism in the middle of the park.

It is a problem Potter inherited after his predecessors failed miserably to adequately address the situation in the wake of Declan Rice’s departure to Arsenal.

Kudus is often forced to drop deep to pick up the ball and try and drive West Ham up the pitch with his pace, power and skill.

So it does not bear thinking about how bad it will be when Kudus leaves, if the issue isn’t addressed.

West Ham have been heavily linked with Rios since Potter’s arrival back in January.

UOL recently claimed the 24-year-old is at the top of a target list compiled by the Hammers boss and his head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay.

The Hammers were boosted when a deal between Porto and Palmeiras for Rios collapsed last month.

Hammers News reported last month that all roads lead to Rios for West Ham after the collapse of that Porto move.

Rios, who is just as adept at playing defensive midfield as he is attacking midfield, has starred at the Club World Cup with Palmeiras.

It seems to have convinced West Ham to make their move.

Spurs ‘bound’ to bid for Rios after £21.5m Hammers offer rejected

Because according to South American football journalist Pasquale Guarro, West Ham have made a £21.5m bid for Rios to try and beat Spurs to the star.

According to Guarro, the offer has been rejected with Palmeiras wanting around £25-26m.

“Richard Rios, Palmeiras is asking for around 30 million euros (£25.8m) for his transfer fee,” Guarro said.

“South American media reports strong interest from Al-Hilal and also an offer of 25 million euros (£21.5m) from West Ham, rejected by Palmeiras.”

That has made big news in Italy, where Champions League finalists Inter Milan reportedly want Rios to replace Hakan Calhanoglu, who is keen to move to his boyhood club Galatasaray this summer.

Calciomercato claim Inter are worried by the interest from the Premier League and also claim West Ham have had a bid rejected.

Tensions are already boiling over between West Ham and rivals Tottenham Hotspur as a key David Sullivan ally hits out at Daniel Levy in a twist to Mohammed Kudus talks.

What started as unwelcome transfer discussions on West Ham’s part has now taken an ugly twist, sparking fresh friction between the two clubs.

There is a reason West Ham and Tottenham have not done any business whatsoever over the last 14 years.

You would be hard-pressed to find a Premier League club owner or chairman as unpopular with their own fanbase as David Sullivan and Daniel Levy are at West Ham and Spurs.

Putting the pair in negotiations over a multi-million pound deal is asking for trouble.

And so it has proved – again.

Fireworks guaranteed as Sullivan and Levy clash over Kudus

The last players to move between the Hammers and Spurs were David Bentley, on loan from north to east London, and Scott Parker leaving for Tottenham – both back in 2011.

There was almost a deal struck between Levy and the Irons 10 years ago.

But a very public row erupted between the two clubs when the Tottenham chief pulled the plug on a West Ham deal for Emmanuel Adebayor in 2015.

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West Ham co-owner at the time, David Gold – who sadly passed away in 2023 – delivered an icy blast at Levy after he reneged on a deadline day deal.

“No matter how hard you try, there are people out there that you just can’t do business with,” Gold said of Levy on social media.

Since then there has also been a bitter fallout between West Ham vice-chair Karren Brady and Levy.

The former close friends no longer speak after a spying scandal targeting Brady’s phone played out in the courts during the battle for the London Stadium.

Now Tottenham are trying to take advantage of West Ham’s shocking financial situation to sign Mohammed Kudus.

And tensions are already fraught.

West Ham fans realise Kudus has to be sold to raise funds for Graham Potter to make signings.

Sullivan ally takes aim at Levy as Kudus talks turn ugly

But Hammers supporters are furious at the prospect of selling Kudus to Spurs after the club admitted it may be forced to break the unofficial transfer embargo between the sides.

It was claimed yesterday that Spurs were advancing in negotiations with Kudus and West Ham.

Although the possibility of Chelsea making a move to derail Tottenham’s Kudus bid is still alive.

Many predicted putting Levy and Sullivan, who has reprised his role as West Ham’s de facto director of football, back in touch would produce fireworks.

And they haven’t disappointed.

Because a key Sullivan ally has taken aim at Levy as West Ham and Spurs talks over Kudus turn ugly.

Reports have been rife that Tottenham have made bids to West Ham for Kudus and that the transfer is in the works.

It has also been claimed that Kudus is open to joining West Ham’s bitter rivals Spurs.

The reality is very different according to a close confidant of Hammers chief Sullivan.

Spurs fans are already angry they have missed out on Antoine Semenyo and look set to lose to Arsenal in the battle for Eberechi Eze.

Now prominent Hammers insider Sean Whetstone, who is close with Sullivan and Brady, has made a shocking new revelation about the Kudus talks with Tottenham which will put Levy under even more pressure in north London.

‘Levy up to his old tricks’ says top Hammers insider

Whetstone has been told by his top West Ham sources that there has been no formal approach or bid from Spurs for Kudus.

West Ham insiders have told Whetstone that the club has not given permission for Spurs to approach Kudus after the likes of Fabrizio Romano claimed talks have been held between them and the player’s agents.

And the key Sullivan ally says his club sources allege ‘Levy is up to his old tricks by playing the Kudus deal out in the media’ using agents to get around rules over tapping up’.

The news will surely now open the door for other interested parties.

Make no mistake, if Mohammed Kudus really does swap West Ham United for Tottenham Hotspur in the remainder of the Premier League’s off-season, this will be a deal struck out of necessity rather than desire from the London Stadium outfit.

As a club source exclusively told Hammers News, the lack of other serious offers for Mohammed Kudus means West Ham may have to accept Tottenham’s advances, regardless of whether they really want to or not.

Talks with Chelsea hit a brick wall when the Blues tried to offer a host of players, Jadon Sancho for instance, in exchange. Kudus has little interest in moving to Saudi Arabia despite claims that the former Ajax star could have earned £17 million a year – yes, every year – at Neom SC.

Manchester United are prioritising Bryan Mbeumo. And, over in the north east, Newcastle have other targets higher than Kudus on their wishlist.

Sky Sports‘ Mark McAdam sums up the situation pretty succinctly.

“West Ham maybe have to get creative. They maybe have to sell a few players to give Graham Potter the funds to go and invest and re-shape that squad,” McAdam said on Tuesday.

“Mohammed Kudus is one of those players.”

So the theory put forward by former Crystal Palace chairman-turned-pundit Simon Jordan, speaking talkSPORT as discussions continue between West Ham and Tottenham, feels as inaccurate as it does rather incendiary.

Simon Jordan hits back at West Ham United fans as Tottenham hold Mohammed Kudus talks

Jordan believes that claims of a fierce ‘rivalry’ between West Ham and Spurs have been overblown.

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He also suggests that no player has left the former for the latter since Scott Parker in 2011 simply because, well, Tottenham just didn’t want any Hammers player until Kudus came along.

“I look at this and say, ‘well, why are you so offended? Are you offended by the transfer, or [Kudus] going to Spurs?'” Jordan argues, adding that the fury displayed by many Hammers fans may also be a convenient stick with which to beat unpopular chairman David Sullivan.

“There is no massive rivalry between West Ham and Tottenham, is there? Is there this massive rivalry?

“[The fact that Tottenham have not signed a West Ham player in 14 years] might tell you something about where West Ham have been at a football club. There have been some good players there who have gone on to other things, like Dimitri Payet.

“But maybe Tottenham haven’t coveted them. Tottenham are a bigger club than West Ham.”

Spurs’ Jarrod Bowen interest proves former Crystal Palace owner wrong

Of course, that final comment alone is enough to get backs up at the London Stadium.

Speaking to TNT Sports recently, meanwhile, captain-turned-sporting director Mark Noble admitted that Tottenham sit higher than Arsenal when ranking West Ham’s most despised opposition.

“I don’t think Arsenal were a massive rival. There was just something with Spurs that made it such a big rivalry,” Noble said. “I loved the rivalry. I loved playing in those games.

“I was brought up as a West Ham fan. And being around loads of West Ham fans myself, they always ingrained in me that ‘we’ve always got to beat Spurs’.”

Such an admission, straight from the Hammers’ mouth, should go some way to explaining to the likes of Simon Jordan why reports of Kudus crossing a seldom-touched divide has caused such a stir in the claret and blue corner of London.

As for Jordan’s claim that Tottenham simply didn’t want any other West Ham players in that 14-year gap, well, Jarrod Bowen is a walking, talking, free-scoring example of why that is wide of the mark.

It is no secret that Daniel Levy is a big fan of the Hammers skipper.

Tottenham presumably would have gone all in on Bowen, if not for a massive price-tag which makes Kudus relatively affordable at £60 million.